The Missouri River was the primary route Lewis and Clark traveled through the prairies.

More about the Missouri River: Get Involved! Wilderness Notebooks: Lewis and Clark, in their own words

Last year, the Sierra Club's Living River Group in Vermillion was successful in helping to get jet skis banned on the portion of the river that enjoys Wild and Scenic River status. The group has also been working to get Land and Water Conservation Fund monies to further protect the river.

The problem is that the National Park Service, which manages Wild and Scenic River, does not have adequate funding to protect the area. There's poor enforcement of the jet ski ban, and the National Park Service had not taken full advantage of the potential of this area by establishing campgrounds, trails and water monitoring.

What you can do: To help the Living River Group in Vermillion, contact Jim Heisinger at jheising@usd.edu.

Photo courtesy NPS.